Uttar Pradesh: Mata Prasad Pandey became the Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly, Akhilesh Yadav gave his approval

Samajwadi Party has made Mata Prasad Pandey the Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Indrajit Saroj, Ram Achal Rajbhar and Toofani Saroj were also in the race for the Leader of Opposition, but SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has made Mata Prasad Pandey, a Brahmin face from Purvanchal, his successor in the Assembly.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party had called a meeting of its MLAs, in which the MLAs left the responsibility on their national president to choose the Leader of Opposition in the UP Assembly. Akhilesh Yadav put the final seal on the name of former Speaker of the Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey. Apart from this, MLA Mehboob Ali has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board, Kamal Akhtar as the Chief Whip and Rakesh Kumar alias RK Verma as the Deputy Whip from SP.

Mata Prasad Pandey is an MLA from Itwa seat

Mata Prasad Pandey is the current MLA from Itwa seat of Siddharthnagar. He has been the Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Assembly twice. Mata Prasad Pandey will take over the responsibility of Leader of Opposition from Monday i.e. tomorrow. It was being said that Akhilesh Yadav would hand over the responsibility of the Leader of Opposition to a face coming from the backward community under his PDA formula. However, he has once again entrusted a big responsibility to Mata Prasad Pandey, who comes from Purvanchal. Mata Prasad is considered close to Akhilesh.

Akhilesh Yadav had resigned

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav himself was holding the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. The SP chief was an MLA from Karhal seat in Mainpuri. However, in 2024, he contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj, after which he is doing Delhi politics. He had resigned from the Karhal seat and also left the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. After that, there were also speculations that Akhilesh Yadav could hand over this responsibility to his uncle Shivpal Yadav, but SP has its eyes on the backward society. Therefore, it was being said that a face coming from the Pasi or Rajbhar community could be given the responsibility.